"Like a roller coaster, kind of rush."

This season is really full of homesickness. Probably because it's almost Christmas. Probably because the end of the year is near. Probably because I'm sending to Italy all my presents for my family and friends. Probably because I got used to Idaho and life in the U.S.
But this doesn't mean that I'm enjoying less my time here. It's like a roller coaster: there are extremely good days when you just feel like you could beat the world, and then there are terrible days when you feel depressed and you miss home more than anything and you just want to close yourself in the bathroom and cry listening to sad music. But this is what makes it interesting, and scary, and fun, and full of adrenaline and it makes you feel alive, like you've never been.
I'm seriously living my life at 100 mph, and this is the best feeling ever. Even in the everyday routine every single thing that I do, I do it thinking that I'm thousands of miles from home, with people that I didn't even know exsisted less than 5 months ago. Even when I unload the dishwasher, or do my homework, or wake up in the morning at 7.15, or step out of the door with -20 degrees Celsius and snow on the ground and a wind that blows the cold into your bones and limbs and into your soul; even when I do all those things I never stop thinking about that moment when I left my group of italian exchange students at the airport to take my third flight, to Denver and I was walking into the crowd of people terrified that I would have lost my flight, all by myself like I've never been before in my life. I never stop thinking about how I felt when the airplane was landing in Idaho Falls and I saw all the lights of the city at night and I started crying, partially because I was exhausted and I haven't slept for more than 24 hours, and partially because it was the most emotionally intense moment I've ever experienced.
I will never stop remembering those moments, when the water will get high and life'll get hard and I will feel alone and useless and helpless...I will think about running through the crowd in Chicago's airport, I will think about the tears I shedded looking at the Idaho Falls city light at night for the first time, I will think about my first A, the first time I understood completely what someone told me in another language, the first time I read a poem of one of my favourites poets in English and got in all without the need of a dictionary, the first choir performance in front of the whole school, the first time I saw an italian movie with american people and realized how much I missed it, the first time I saw my host family's faces, the first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas tree, the first night we jumped on the trampoline and sang at the top of our lungs remembering where we came from and how far we got. And these are only some of the memories that I will remember, and I can't wait for all the future ones to come.
Somewhere I read that "life is a journey, not a guided tour". Because life doesn't give you guarantees, it throws you out there and you just have to hope that things go how you try to make them go...and sometimes you get slapped in the face. The only thing that is sure in this life is that everybody dies, no matter what you believe. And I believe that, as everyone says now, 'you only live once'. You only have one chance to get it right, to do something, to make a difference, to be able to look back when you're in your oldest days and have no regrets, no "I could have done" or "I should have said". And this is what pushes me to work harder and dream bigger. The idea that there is no second try.
That's why I am here, to live the most adventurous journey, with all its problems and challenges and expectations and satisfactions. Because life is only one and it's too fast to spend it sitting on a tour bus waiting for things to happen. Because you can really live 'like there's no tomorrow', but only if you plan to have one. And I'm building my tomorrow with my own hands. One brick at a time.

What's out of the box.

I think that the thing that has a bigger impact on me during this exchange year is the fact that you're not only making friends in a different country that will probably stick with you for your whole life, no matter how distant you are...but you're making friends that are from all around the world. The other day I went to Chick-full-a with a bunch of friends and at some point I realized that we were 8 people sitting at the table: me, Katie (the only american), an exchange srudent from Germany, one from Denmark, two from Thailand and two from Sweden. It was amazing how there were 6 different countries sitting at that table. People who were born and lived in different parts of the world were all together that day, eating the same thing, speaking the same language to understand each other, sharing the things that makes us different. Sharing our cultures, our languages, our holidays, our memories and talking about our home countries. This is what I'm learning right now. That it doesn't matter what country you're from or what language you speak. We all experience things in the same way (even if we all react differently), we all feel the same emotions, we all define friendship as the same bond.
It's something that makes you bigger, and fuller, when you realize how varied the world is and how rare and special it is to have the opportunity to share and exchange with other people the little things that make you, you.
When I realized this, while I was sitting there eating my chicken sandwich with three different continents, it almost made me cry. Because I also realized that I will probably remember that single moment for the rest of my life, and that just sitting there, talking with those people had such a big impact on me. Those are the things that make you learn. Those are the things that make you grow and make you more conscious of how big the world is. It also makes you feel small..but not unsignificant. You realize that you are extremely important. Because you're changing the lives of those people, just as much as they are changing yours. And that is what I will always be grateful for, thanks to this experience: to know for sure that in some way you're making the difference in someone else's life. Someone that you would have never met if it wasn't for your insanely brave idea to "leave the safe harbor, and catch the trade winds in your sails" out, to the open ocean. To those insecurities and fears which you know that after all, they won't do anything if not make you stronger and braver.
And even if it's hard sometimes, even if when I am alone at night and I start thinking about home and I feel a little empty, wishing that my friends and family where here with me (expecially in those special moments that I've been waiting for years and I never imagined that I would have seen that special movie or read that special book without the friends that I spent my life with); I have to remember what brought me here. 8715.450 kilometers from home.
Curiosity. It pushes you to the point where you are ready to leave everything you've always had to get something that is not guaranteed. Break the boundaries and step out of the comfort zone. Walk into the unknown. Out of the box. Leave your home to find another.
And that is the point. We call home the place where we feel comfortable. Where we have friends and a family. Where we feel safe. Where our heart is. So home, after all, is not a place on a map. Home is the people that make you feel like it. And right now, Idaho is home for me just as much as Italy is.
I haven't forgotten where I came from, and I can't wait to know where I'm gonna go. But now I perfectly know where I am. I'm living every day knowing that I won't have any chance to get it back, once that it is passed. Life is made of finite moments, and the fact that every single one of them just hits you and then it's gone forever sometimes makes me sad and scared. The only things that remain are the memories that will keep alive those moments. So let's do our best to make every second unforgettable. Let's change lives. Let's explore, let's dream, let's discover.

"I'm gonna make this place your home."

It has been a lot since I haven't posted anything in the blog, so I'm gonna talk about the last two weeks, because I had so much fun and I didn't have time to write.
Last week on Friday we had our last performance with the Colorguard and it was kind of sad because I wish we could perform more, since that we're getting pretty good at it (even if I dropped the flag at my first toss, but that didn't distract me, I immidiately took it again and started the exercise pretending nothing happened). Then right after the game I came home because we were having an Halloween Party at our house at it was just the best thing ever. All my friends were here and we did some crazy stuff (just gonna mention that at some point I was locked in the closet with Eddie and Katie and it was pretty creepy...) and then they moved things around and had fun like crazy people do and we acted like everybody was drunk but of course nobody drank so it was so funny, I guess it's just american people, they are out of their mind, but in the best way. We jumped on the trampoline singing at the top of our lungs and then we layed there watching at the stars and having deep conversations about our exchange year and our secrets and fears and hopes and dreams and it was seriously one of those nights that I will remember forever.

Then last Saturday we had the Sadie Hawkins dance and it was so awesome that I can't even describe it. We had the long week-end because it was teacher day on Friday so I had time to go out and look fot t-shirts with Sabrina and Devan and we ate at IHOP with Eddie and Katie and it was so good that it should be illegal. Unfortunately Sabrina found out on Saturday morning that she had kidney stones, so now she's fine, but she has to rest, so she didn't come to the dance. And for that reason I spent the entire day looking for a girl for Justin and in the end we found it, so he wouldn't have been alone and everything went right. Me and Ryan were wearing a Red Sox t-shirt and of course red socks. We danced all night and had the time of our lives and they also played two Taylor Swift songs and I was fangirling so hard that I almost feel guilty. (forgot to mention that on Wednesday there were the CMA and it was so amazing to watch them with Victor and Helena on the couch on the big screen in HD...)

Sometimes there are moments when I feel like I really miss my friends and family but I'm happy because I'm so lucky that I have amazing friends here and an amazing host family that makes me feel like home. I'm so thankful for what I have every day, and right now I'm just trying to enjoy every single moment and to see the good even in the hard moments. I'm trying to remeber that every day is a challenge and I'm always learning new things and growing and changing in so many ways that I can't even describe it. And at the end of the day, I realize that no matter what, I will always have a second family and a lot of friends on the other side of the world that I will come back to see. And I will always have a second home, and Idaho in my heart. Because "home is where your heart is".
I will forever be proud of myself for my choice to live this scary adventure that will make me fearless and more confident and aware of what another piece of the world looks like. And I'm realizing all these things only after 2 months, so I can't wait for what is to come.
Because I learned that to grow you have to step out of the comfort zone, break the boundaries and destroy the walls.
"Explore. Dream. Discover."

just another week.

This week wasn't as exciting as last week. It was just a normal week, school, home, homework, tv, family...
I went to a sleepover on Friday with Pauline, an exchange student from Germany and two other exchange students from Thailand. It was so much fun, we watched an horror movie, The Ring, then we watched tangled and then we fell asleep watching Shrek and eating junk food. It was cool and Pauline's host family has a really beautiful home with some really cool Halloween decorations and they have a big dog that's so cute. Then yesterday Ryan answered my Sadies Hawkins Dance invitation, we're gonna have so much fun all together again. He left a pumpkin on my door step with a big YES carved in it and it was so cute. He, Justin, Katie and Devan were hiding in the backyard and I didn't see them and they almost scared me when I took the pumpkin! They we invited them in and we had ice cream and talked a bit and then it was late so they went home.
Next weekend we'll probably go to a trip to Boise, we're gonna have a lot of fun.
I have to go now because I'm really tired and these days I always have a lot of homework and school stuff and I need to sleep, it's 23.19 and I should go.
I can't wait for what's to come!!

Homecoming !!!

This week was the most crazy week ever. It was homecoming week, so I was really busy. on Wednesday there was the Powder Puff game and we had so much fun even if we lost, but it's normal, usually Seniors win... 

 

 Then on Friday there was the homecoming parade and I performed with the colorguard and we were so good and I'm happy that now at least people know that we exist. We also performed at the home coming game with the band and the two dance teams and it was fun, even if it was so cold that I couldn't feel my hand.
And of course on Saturday there was the homecoming and it was so freaking fun!
I slept at Sabrina's house Friday night so when we woke up I went home and had an hour of relax before the date. For the date day we went roller skating all together and it was seriously the collest thing ever, then everyone went home th get ready for the dance, so I had my hair and make-up done and I wore my beautiful dress and we went to Ryan and Justin's house to take photos all together and everyone was so pretty and all the girls were stunning in their dresses and I was happy because my corsage and Devan's boutonniere were made with the same flowers and we didn't even take them in the same shop! Then we went to dinner at Olive Garden, an italian restaurant that actually wasn't that bad and it was fun to eat all together. Before the dance we decided to go out for a walk around the temple and we also went in to the visitors center and they gave me a copy of The Book Of Mormon in Italian for free and we took pictures in front of the temple. It was really interesting and the temple is really beautiful at night!!
At 8.30 we went to the dance and we had the time of our lives dancing and doing silly moves and meeting everybody from the school and they were all so freaking beautiful in their dresses and suits and I danced until my feet started hurting and it was the best party ever!
My feet still hurt, now I have to do my homework.
Let's hope for some rest and some time with the family next week.

Waiting for Homecoming week!

This week we had a lot of fun because we only went to school for 3 days, so we had Thrusday and Friday off. We went to the movie theatre two times, we invited Eddie and his family over, we ate a lot of junk food, me and Victor played some baseball in the yard, I practised tossing with my flag for Colorguard and yesterday night we went with Eddie and some friends of his to the Haunted House. Actually we went to two different Haunted Houses, the first one was a Haunted Theatre and it was really creepy and I was so scared when the guy with the chainsaw started chasing us, the second one was a Haunted Mill and it was even better, there were a lot of jumpscares, the scene was so realistic and there was also Slenderman who started following me hahahah, I had so much fun and now I can't wait for Halloween because I love scary things.
Next week is Homecoming week and I have the Powder Puff game, the Parade where I will performe with the Cologuard, the Sleepover with the girls on Friday night after the Football game and the Homecoming on Saturday. I'm going to the Homecoming with Devan, one of my friends of the group that I lunch with and it will be so much fun because we're all going together and we're gonna have the time of our lives. I also bought a dress, I really like it, it's tourquoise open and short on the front (to the knee) and long on the back and it's sleeveless. I like it so much, because it's my favourite color and it wasn't that expensive like a lot of other girls dresses.
Now I have to finish my homework so, I will write again soon!

I fell in love with Idaho

8.28.13 - 9.28.13
Un mese è passato. Ho realizzato un sacco di cose in questi 30 giorni e non vedo l'ora di scoprire quante altre cose imparerò negli 8 mesi che verranno, quante avventure ancora mi aspettano e quante persone avrò l'onore di conoscere.

Quando mi hanno comunicato che sarei capitata in Idaho il primo pensiero che si è formato nella mia mente è stato: "un attimo...siamo sicuri sia uno stato americano?"
Sapevo già che l'America non fosse solo Cheerleaders, fast food, armadietti a scuola e partite di Baseball; ma non avrei mai immaginato quanto l'America potesse essere varia e completamente diversa da qualsiasi altro posto al mondo. Ho imparato cosa significa provare orgoglio per la propria nazione, perchè gli americani ne hanno davvero molto, e questo mi ha fatto pensare che per certe cose anche io sono orgogliosa dell'Italia. Non certo per la politica, le persone, il calcio o la mafia...ma ci sono così tante cose dell'italia di cui dobbiamo essere fieri e non ce ne rendiamo conto finchè non ne sentiamo la mancanza.

Ogni volta che mi chiedono se mi trovo bene qui e se mi piace stare in Idaho non so mai cosa rispondere perchè non c'è un modo semplice per dirlo. Non posso descrivere l'Idaho senza nominare i sorrisi gentili della gente, il vento forte che ti porta via nelle giornate migliori, il suono che fa un fucile, gli instancabili tramonti ogni sera diversi ma sempre da togliere il fiato, il sapore del burro d'arachidi e gelatina e l'odore di aria pulita subito dopo un temporale.
Idaho sono gli infiniti spazi aperti, le giornate passate in giardino e le serate fuori al freddo davanti al fuoco mentre ci si perde a guardare le luci delle stelle. Idaho è la fede negli altri e in tutto quello che ti rende migliore, la gente che ti parla come se ti conoscesse da una vita, la musica country, il senso di appartenenza anche se sei lontano da casa, e "tutti gli altri fatali frammenti" che riesci a cogliere solo quando realizzi che fanno parte di un sogno più grande.

Viaggiare richiede una certa quantità di coraggio, perchè la nostalgia è il bagaglio del viaggiatore, ma viaggiare ti rende una persona migliore perchè non sai cos'è il mondo se non l'hai visto con i tuoi occhi. Viaggiare ti fa crescere in così tanti modi che non riesci nemmeno ad immaginare e spesso non te ne rendi conto. Ma d'altronde, si viaggia per tornare a casa cambiati.

                                                                           ~~~

8.28.13 - 9.28.13
The first month is gone. I realized so many things in these 30 days and I can't wait to find out how many things I will learn in the next 8 months, what adventures I will undertake, who I'll have the pleasure to meet.

When I've been told that I was going to Idaho the first thought that came to my mind was: "wait...are we sure Idaho is a state?"
I already knew that America is not only Cheerleaders, fast food, lockers at school and Baseball games; but I never imagined how America can be varying and completely different from any other place in the world. I learned what it means to be proud of your own country, because american people have a lot of pride, and this made me think that for some reasons I'm proud about Italy too. Of course I'm not proud about Italian politics, people, mob or soccer...but there are a lot of things about Italy that we should be proud of, and we don't realize that until those things are missing.

Everytime that people ask me if I like being here I always don't know what I should answer because there's not an easy way to explain it.
I can't describe Idaho without talking about the kind smiles that people give you, the strong wind that almost drags you and carries you away in the best days, the sound of a rifle, the tireless sunsets that every night are different but they always take your breath away, the taste of peanut butter and jelly, and the smell of fresh air right after a thunderstorm.
Idaho are the neverending open spaces, the afternoons spent in the yard, and the nights out in the cold in front of the camp fire when you lose yourself watching the starlight. Idaho is faith in other people and in everything that makes you better, people who talk to you like they've known you for a lifetime, country music, the belonging feeling even if you're far from home, and "all the other fatal fragments" that you can get only when you realize they're part of a bigger dream.

You need to be brave to travel, because homesickness is the traveller knowledge, but travelling you become a better person, because you don't know how the world looks like if you haven't seen it with your own eyes. When you travel you grow up in so many ways that you can't imagine and most of the time you don't realize it. But after all, you travel to come home changed.

I guess that this must be the place...

A lot of exciting things happened these past two weeks!
First, in cronological order, we went to the baseball game last weekend. It was incredible, and our team also won! I had so much fun living again a real american baseball game, and since I love baseball with all my heart, it was amazing just to be there and sit with the crowd cheering our team, the Chukars, and taking pictures and talking with my host dad about baseball and sports in general and how I'd love to start again playing softball. Lorenzo, the other exchange student from Italy, came with us and I found out that he used to play baseball too so it was really cool to talk about different experiences and baseball stuff. 

 

 Two days ago I found out that my host family, which was only an Arrival family, now is my official Permanent family and I'm so freaking happy. I was really afraid of leaving them because I knew that I would have never found a better family for me and it would have been so hard, but fortunately, they feel the same way and they told me that they figured out they can't let me go away anymore and I fit perfectly in the family. I already love them so much and I can't wait for all the wonderful experiences we'll have together during this year. :) 

Then, yesterday night it was the Civil War game night. The football team of my school played against the Bonneville football team, which is the team of the other high school of Idaho Falls. It was so cool, everybody was wearing his school's colors and there were the cheerleader and junk food and all the people were really excited even if we lost, I had the time of my life and I was feeling like living in a movie for the entire time.

Now I'm really living my american dream, and I finally figured out what the famous quote means, the one that says "Cultural exchange is not a year of your life, is your life in a year."

First week of school and SALT LAKE CITY COMIC CON!!

La scuola è iniziata con un po' di stress il primo giorno, ma dopo tutto è andato meglio.
Innanzitutto, non riuscivo ad aprire l'armadietto, e devo dire che non è assolutamente semplice come sembra. Per fortuna dopo ho imparato e adesso funziona (quasi) sempre.
Poi il primo giorno, sempre a causa dell'armadietto che mi ha fatto perdere tempo, ho dovuto pranzare da sola alla mensa e il cibo della mensa americana è davvero pessimo. Abbiamo solo mezz'ora per mangiare, quindi erano già tutti andati a prepararsi per la lezione seguente quando ho finalmente avuto il mio vassoio. Già da giovedì però, le cose sono andate meglio perchè due ragazze che avevo già conosciuto, Madison e Sarah, hanno invitato me e Lorenzo a mangiare fuori con loro.
Infine, il mio nome era scritto sbagliato in ogni singola classe, quindi ho dovuto correggere tutti e spiegare che il mio nome non è Kari Remilti. Comunque non ho grandi problemi a lezione, a parte matematica che ovviamente per me resterà sempre una lingua sconosciuta, non importa dove e come la studi. Alla fine ho cambiato Body Sculpt con History as Film che sembra molto più interessante.
Ieri sono andata con la famiglia e Eddie al Comic Con di Salt Lake City ed è stato  SPETTACOLARE. C'erano un sacco di cosplayer molto belli, ho fatto un po' di foto con della gente molto interessante e ho avuto l'onore di incontrare un paio di attori fra cui Brian Krause, l'uomo che ha fatto parte della mia infanzia grazie al telefilm "Streghe". Mi ha persino firmato un autografo!!
E poi ho visto Stan Lee. DAL VIVO. HO DAVVERO VISTO STAN LEE. E' stato incredibile. C'era un sacco di gente in fila per il suo autografo quindi l'ho visto solo da lontano e di sfuggita ma L'HO VISTO.
Io e Victor abbiamo anche comprato una maglietta di The Walking Dead con scritto "NO WALKERS" ed è molto divertente e autoironica, visto che il loro cognome è Walker.

Spero che domani a scuola vada tutto bene e spero di farmi nuovi amici e non vedo l'ora di incontrare persone nuove.


School started with a bit of stress the first day, but then everyting went better. First of all, I couldn't open my locker, and it's not as easy as you can think. Luckily, I learnt and now it works (almost) everytime. The first day I had to eat lunch all alone at the Cafeteria, always because of the locker, and the food was really awful. But on the next day I met these two girls that I had already known, Madison and Sarah, and they invited me and Lorenzo to have lunch with them out of school.
Finally, my name was spelled wrong in every single class and I had to correct all the teachers and tell them that my name is not Kari Remilti. By the way, I don't have problems at school, except for math, that for me will always be an unknown language, no matter where or how you study it. At the end I changed Body Sculpt for History as Film, which seems much more interesting.
Yesterday I went with the family and Eddie at the Comic Con in Salt Lake City and it was AMAZING.
There were a lot of really cool cosplayers, I took some pictures with a lot of interesting people and I had the privilege to meet a couple of actors, and I met Brian Krause , the man that made my childhood with the tv show "Charmed". He also signed an autograph! And then I saw Stan Lee. FOR REAL. I REALLY SAW STAN LEE IN PERSON. It was unbelievable. There were a lot of people waiting in line for his autograph so I saw him from a far spot but I SAW HIM.
Me and Victor also bought a "The Walking Dead" t-shirt with the sign "NO WALKERS" and it's so funny 'cause their last name is Walker.

I hope everything will be okay tomorrow at school and I hope I'll make new friends and I can't wait to meet new people.

First week in Idaho!

L'ultima settimana è stata piena di emozioni ed esprienze nuove e tutte davvero fantastiche.
Con la famiglia mi trovo benissimo, mi diverto un sacco e andiamo d'accordo.
Domenica siamo andati in chiesa e direi che come prima volta è andata bene, non mi sono annoiata ed è stato molto interessante vedere per una volta qualcosa di diverso e che non avrò l'occasione di vedere da nessun'altra parte.
Domenica sera siamo andati in campeggio!! Abbiamo mangiato hot dogs e marshmallows, ho guidato un quad per la prima volta e ho addirittura sparato al piattello con il fucile. E' stato molto divertente, anche se il giorno dopo mi faceva male la spalla. Poi alla sera io, il mio host dad e Eddie (un altro exchange student dalla Svezia) abbiamo dormito lì con i sacchi a pelo sotto le stelle. E' stato davvero meraviglioso perchè qui si vedono molte più stelle di quelle che posso vedere dalla finestra di casa mia in Italia. Abbiamo parlato di molte cose, serie e non, e devo dire che mi è piaciuto ed è anche molto utile per migliorare il mio inglese. Capisco il 95 % di quello che mi dicono e sto migliorando il modo di parlare ogni giorno.
Oggi sono andata a scuola con la mia host mom per iscrivermi nei Junior e scegliere le materie e prendere l'armadietto. Ho scelto English, U.S. History, Human Anatomy, Pre-Calculus, German 2, Spanish 3, Body Sculpt e Women's Chorus. Volevo fare anche Drama, ma sfortunatamente coincideva con Women's Chorus quindi ho dovuto scegliere Body Sculpt e probabilmente farò Drama il prossimo semestre.
Domani inizio la scuola e spero davvero di farmi degli amici...in ogni caso a pranzo probabilmente mangerò insieme agli altri exchange student, così non dovrò stare da sola.
Spero che questa settimana sia fantastica come quella passata.


Last week was so intense and full of new experiences.

With the host family I really fit good, I'm having a lot of fun and we get on really well. On Sunday we went to church and it went good, considering it was the first time, it wasn't boring and it was interesting to see something different for once.
In the evening we went camping!! We ate hot dogs and marshmallows, I rode a four wheeler for the first time in my life and I shot with a rifle. It was really fun, even if the next day my shoulder hurt a bit. Then at night me, my host dad and Eddie (another exchange student from Sweden) slept there with our sleeping bags under the stars. It was really astonishing because here you can see more stars that I can see from my window in Italy. We talked about a lot of things, serious and not, and I liked it and it's also really useful for my english. I understand 95 % of what they say to me and I'm improving my speaking every day.
Today I went to school with my host mom to enroll in the Juniors and choose the classes and get a locker. I chose English, U.S. History, Human Anatomy, Pre-Calculus, German 2, Spanish 3, Body Sculpt and Women's Chorus. I wanted to do Drama but unfortunatly it was at the same time as Women's Chorus so I had to choose Body Sculpt and probably I'll do Drama next semester.
Tomorrow I start school and I really hope I'll start making friends...anyway at luch I will probably eat with the others exchange students, so I wont have to be alone.
I hope this week will be as great as the one that just passed.

"One's destination is not a place, but a way of seeing things."

Sono arrivata ieri sera e stavo talmente a pezzi che non ho avuto la forza di fare quasi niente.
La famiglia è davvero il meglio, sono tutti così gentili e disponibili e mi fanno sentire a mio agio e sono anche molto divertenti. La casa è davvero pazzesca, è enorme e meravigliosa e la mia stanza è grande il doppio di quella che ho in italia. C'è anche un ragazzo tedesco, Jonas, che starà qui per un po' e mi sembra simpatico. Ci sono anche un cane e un gatto talmente grasso che mi chiedo come faccia a camminare.
Grazie a dio nessuna valigia è stata persa durante i voli e io non ho perso le coincidenze!!
Ieri avevo un po' paura all'idea di incontrare la famiglia, ma ora mi sento davvero bene. Mi sento elettrizzata, come sulle montagne russe un attimo prima della grande discesa. Sono le 8 del mattino e non riesco più a dormire, non che il letto non sia comodo...Non vedo l'ora di esplorare Idaho Falls e di conoscere le persone che ci vivono!
Adesso andrò a fare colazione e mi preparerò per le discese e le salite, le curve strette, i giri della morte e i stratti a 100 all'ora che mi aspettano in questa grande e nuova esperienza.

I arrived last night and I was so tired that I couldn't do anything.
The family is really the best part, they're all so nice and polite and they make me feel comfortable and they're also really funny. The house is insanely big nad it's beautiful and my room is twice the room I have in italy. There's also a German boy, Jonas, who will stay here for a bit and he seems ok. There are also a dog and a cat so fat that I ask myself how can it walk around so easly.
Thanks god, no luggage was lost during the travel and I didn't miss the connecting flights!!
Yesterday I was a little scared about meeting the family, but now I feel really good. I feel thrilled and excited, like when you're on roallercoaster right before going down. It's 8 am and I can't sleep anymore, not because of the bed...I can't wait to explore Idaho Falls and meet the people who live here.
Now I'm gonna have breakfast and I will prepare myself for the falls, the rises, the sharps turns, the loops and the 100 km/h stretches that I will find in this big and new experience.

Idaho - Let it be forever

I found out that Idaho is really the perfect place for me. It has so much to offer, speaking of nature, landscapes, mountains, hiking tracks and more. There are so many outdoor activities you can do, and I'm very lucky because my host family loves most of them as much as I do. My host dad today told me that we can go hiking and climbing sometimes if I want and in the winter we can go skiing. I'm really excited, I hope this Arrival family will become my Permanent family, even though I haven't met them yet. My host mum told me that they will be away since August 22nd so I will probably come in the week after the 22nd. I'm happy 'cause this way I have the time to organize everything, say goodbye to my friends and family ecc. I also talked to Charlotte, she's the German girl that will stay with me in the Double Placement for a while, she's sweet and nice and she's 15. I thought she had the same age as me...but this doesn't matter, I was just surprised. Everything is going the right way, and I really can't wait for this dream, for this adventure to start. I'm a bit afraid and nervous but I guess it's normal...now it's all or nothing.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

Annnnnnnnd today I made the first step. I recieved all the info about my host family and my high school and everything, so after 3 hours of excitement, I wrote an e-mail to my host family. I wrote about myself and this whole experience and I said to them how excited I was and how I couldn't wait to start my journey. I'm so freaking happy! Now the only thing left is the date of departure. I hope it will be like in mid-August, because school starts the 4th of September and I still have some things to do here in Italy before leaving. But what I feel is bittersweet, because yesterday I had to say goodbye to my best friends 'cause they're going to the seaside and I'll probably won't see them again before my departure, and they made me a video where they told me like how much I mean to them and how much they're gonna miss me and they cried and I cried and everyone started crying and it was a mess because it ended up in hugs and tears and I know I'm really gonna miss them. They're also my classmates..so I'm really gonna feel the difference without my girlss. :'(
But the good thing is that some of my friends, the ones from my group outside the school, are going to come back to Italy in two days; they went to Spain on a group holiday. They invited me too, but I didn't know when I was going to leave for the U.S. so I said no, and I wasn't even sure if I could have the possibilty to see them again but now I have the chance to meet them one last time and say goodbye. I'm gonna cry again, I know it for sure.
I heard someone once saying that the melancholy is the knowledge of the traveller. And it's true. Sad and true.

Still looking for a family!

Okay, trenta secondi fa ho aperto la mail e mi hanno comunicato che la signora Joyce non potrà ospitarmi per problemi che non ci è dato sapere, ma in compenso un'altra famiglia si è offerta per diventare la mia famiglia temporanea, che deciderà se ospitarmi definitivamente solo dopo il mio arrivo. Inoltre sono in un Double Placement con una ragazza tedesca che non vedo l'ora di conoscere. Non so se lo stato sia lo stesso, ho appena firmato il modulo per il DP, aspetto notizie!!

Okay, thirty seconds ago I opened my e-mail inbox and I found out that Mrs. Joyce won't be able to be my host family anymore, but another family offered themselves as Arrival Family, and they will decide if they want to be my Permanent Family only after my arrive in the USA. Plus, I'm in a Double Placement with a German girl who I'm looking forward to meet.
I don't know if the state is still Ohio, just signed the document for the DP, waiting for news!!

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Finalmente il momento è arrivato. Era il primo giorno di mare, appena arrivata in Toscana con i miei genitori per una piccola vacanza in famiglia, dopo un bagno rinfrescante sono salita in camera per fare una doccia, ho aperto la casella mail dal mio iPod più per abitudine che altro ed è successo qualcosa di diverso dalle altre volte. La casella di posta non era più vuota, ma c'era un' email; un' email che mi comunicava che la famiglia della signora Joyce aveva deciso di diventare la mia famiglia permanente. Inutile dire che ho iniziato a tremare e a singhiozzare come una cerebrolesa, ero sola nella stanza e non sapevo cosa fare, così ho letto con le lacrime agli occhi quello che la dolce signora Joyce ha voluto scrivere ancora prima di conoscermi. Vive sola in casa, è già nonna ma dice di essere giovane nel cuore, ama il fai da te e la fotografia, ha una passione per il teatro e mi ha detto che nel caso fossi interessata allo sport mi avrebbe portata alle partite di calcio di sua nipote che gioca nella squadra del college, inoltre si è offerta di portarmi in giro a visitare la città o quelle vicine nel caso mi interessasse. Vive in Ohio. Non potrei essere più felice. Ovviamente, dato che si tratta di un Single Parent Match, ho dovuto firmare un modulo che attesta che la mia famiglia è d'accordo; perciò adesso aspetto ulteriori notizie, sperando che l'abbinamento vada a buon fine e non vedo l'ora di conoscere di persona la mia nuova mamma/nonna americana. :')

Ohio aspettami, sto arrivando!!!


Finally the moment has come. It was the first day at the seaside, just arrived in Toscana with my parents for a little family holiday, after a refreshing bath in the sea I went to our hotel room to take a shower, I opened my e-mail inbox from my iPod, out of habit, and something different happened this time. The e-mail inbox wasn't empty anymore, but there was an e-mail; an e-mail where there was written that the family of Mrs. Joyce had decided to become my permanent host family. Obviously I started shaking and sobbing like a retarded, I was alone in the room and didn't know what to do, so with tears in my eyes I read what the sweet Mrs. Joyce wanted to write to me even before we met eachothers. She lives alone at home, she's a grandmom but she says that she's young at heart, she loves crafting and photography, she's really into theatre and she said that if I'm into sports she would have brought me to her granddaughter soccer games, who plays in the college team, plus she offered herself to bring me around to see the city and the ones in the nearby, if I'm interested. She lives in Ohio. I couldn't be happier. Obviously, since it's a Single Parent Match, I had to sign a document where's written that my parents are okay with that; so now I wait for news, hoping that the Placement will be confirmed and I can't wait to meet in the flesh my new american hostmother/hostgrandma. :')

Ohio, wait for me, here I come!!!

Still Waiting for a Family...

Okay, mancano 12 giorni alla partenza della prima Wave e io sono ancora senza famiglia e senza Placement. Non sono l'unica, questo mi consola un po', ma non posso fare a meno di aprire la casella di posta 50 volte al giorno e ogni volta rimanere delusa trovandola vuota. Ciò che tiene alte le mie speranze è pensare che ogni giorno che passa è uno in meno senza il Placement e andando avanti la probabilità di avere presto una famiglia aumenta. Voglio dire..arriverà prima o poi, no?
Toccherà anche a me di aprire la casella di posta e trovare quella mail che tutti noi orfanelli stiamo aspettando con tanta ansia, giusto?
L'idea che fra un mese o meno potrei già essere negli States ad iniziare quella che sarà sicuramente la più grande avventura che abbia mai affrontato fin'ora non mi sembra ancora reale. Per ora è tutto sfocato, come se fosse solo un sogno. Suppongo che quando riceverò quell'e-mail, si farà tutto più vivido.
Nel frattempo aspetto, come ho sempre fatto, nonostante sia stanca di aspettare. La vita è troppo breve per passarla ad aspettare...o è forse l'attesa la parte migliore?


Okay, it's only 12 days until the first Wave leaves and I'm still without a family and a Placement. I'm not the only one, and this comforts me a bit, but I can't help to open up the e-mail inbox 50 times a day and everytime I feel disappointed because it's empty. What keeps my hope high is thinking that at the end of every day is a day less without the Placement and day after day the probability to get a family soon increase. I mean...I will get it sooner or later, won't I?
It will be my turn of opening the e-mail inbox and find THAT e-mail, the one that all us orphans are waiting for with so much anxiety, right?
The idea of being in the States in a month or less and starting what will be for sure the biggest adventure that I've ever had since now just doesn't seem real yet. For now it's all blurred, like as if it was only a dream. I presume that when I'll get that e-mail, it will all become more clear.
In the meanwhile I wait, as I always did, besides I'm tired of waiting. Life is too short to spend it waiting...or is waiting the best part of it?